ED summons Rajasthan businessman Sharma in Yes Bank money laundering case

New Delhi, July 23 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Rajasthan-based businessman Raman Kant Sharma in connection with its money laundering probe in the Yes Bank case, officials said on Thursday.

Sharma is already being investigated by the central probe agency on charges of alleged violation of forex laws related to remittance of over INR 96 crore from Mauritius and the agency has similarly summoned him under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) for questioning.

The ED is also probing his alleged business links with Vaibhav Gehlot, the son of Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, in the FEMA case.

He is alleged to have been a business partner of Vaibhav Gehlot in a car rental company in the past.

In the Yes Bank money laundering case, officials said the businessman has been asked to depose before the investigating officer of the case in Mumbai on July 27.

The officials said the bank had given a INR 168-crore loan to Triton Hotels and Resorts in which Sharma is a share holder and a promoter.

The ED wants to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the Yes Bank case and understand how the hotel group was extended the bank loan, they said.

The ED arrested Yes Bank co-founder Rana Kapoor in this case in March along with the Wadhawan brothers, Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan, of DHFL.

The ED accused Kapoor, his family members and others of laundering proceeds of crime worth INR 4,300 crore by receiving alleged kickbacks in lieu of extending big loans through their bank that later turned into non-performing assets (NPA).